LightNews LightNews
akashpaun.bsky.social
@akashpaun.bsky.social
250 followers 82 following 18 posts
Posts Replies Media Videos
akashpaun.bsky.social
At @instituteforgovernment.org.uk we're very excited to be working with @grantthorntonuk.bsky.social on a new event series on local government reorganisation. The first, on 26/2, asks how ministers should decide on the shape and size of new unitary authorities. Sign up to join in person or online 👇
instituteforgovernment.org.uk Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 7d
EVENT | How should ministers decide the size and shape of new unitary authorities?

📅 Thursday 26 February, 12:30–13:30

Join us for the first event in our 'Making a Success of Local Government Reorganisation' series www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/minist...
An image ad for an IfG event. How should ministers decide the size and shape of new unitary authorities? Thursday 26 February, 12:30-13:30 Speakers include: Joanne Brown, Partner, Public Sector Audit at Grant Thornton UK LLP Councillor Bella Sankey, Leader of Brighton and Hove City Council Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, Lords Minister for Housing and Local Government This event will be chaired by Dr Matthew Fright, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government.
February 10, 2026 at 10:52 AM
Reposted
hannahkeenan.bsky.social
Tim Allan only joined No10 in September last year as part of the most recent (very turbulent) 'reset'...
A timeline from the Institute for Government of key government personnel changes in September 2025 beginning with Keir Starmer’s minor reshuffle on 1 September. This turned into a wholesale ministerial reshuffle between 5 and 7 September following deputy prime minister Angela Rayner’s resignation after the prime minister’s independent adviser concluded that she had not maintained the highest possible standards of proper conduct. The timeline shows a series of senior resignations later in the month, from US Ambassador Peter Mandelson’s resignation on 11 September to senior advisers Paul Ovenden and Steph Driver resigning on 15 September and 25 September respectively.
February 9, 2026 at 11:41 AM
Reposted
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
What tools do metro mayors have to drive regeneration, and how do mayoral development corporations fit in?

Our explainer sets out what MDCs are, the powers they hold, and where they’re being used.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/ma...
Mayoral development corporations | Institute for Government
What are mayoral development corporations and which mayors are using them?
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
February 9, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Reposted
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
EVENT | Ahead of the seventh election to Senedd Cymru, join us on Monday 2 March for an in conversation with @rhunapiorwerth.bsky.social.

The Leader of Plaid Cymru will discuss his plan for government and Plaid Cymru’s vision for the future of Wales www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/rhun-a...
An image for an IfG event:In conversation with Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, Leader of Plaid Cymru Monday 02 March 2026, 12:30 — 13:30 (GMT)
February 4, 2026 at 11:01 AM
Reposted
jillongovt.bsky.social
The next set of mayoral elections will be more like a lottery as voters will have to guess who will make it into the Top Two and who they want/want to stop to be mayor. Lets have proper preferential voting now.
February 2, 2026 at 9:33 PM
akashpaun.bsky.social
This is a well worth a read, though with respect to @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social, yes 30 January is far too late! (Maybe you meant Chinese New Year?)
stuarthoddinott.bsky.social Stuart Hoddinott @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social · 18d
Happy new year (is it too late to say that?) from the Week in Public Services team!

This week: the government’s addiction to pilots; the failure of ed tech; and Reform UK’s row about pensions

medium.com/week-in-publ...
Week in Public Services: 30th January 2026
This week: the government’s addiction to pilots; the failure of ed tech; and Reform UK’s row about pensions
medium.com
January 30, 2026 at 2:10 PM
akashpaun.bsky.social
Very exciting to see the latest publication in the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk #DevoLab series - spotlighting how devolution is enabling improvements in transport connectivity in Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region & West Yorkshire.

Many thanks to our partners Arup for their support.

🧵👇
January 30, 2026 at 12:19 PM
akashpaun.bsky.social
I am saddened to hear of the passing of Lord Wallace. Jim was a lovely man who welcomed me to his home in Orkney, and with whom I drank too much whisky several times, while putting the world to rights.

Jim's wise reflections on being a minister: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers-re...
Lord Wallace | Institute for Government
Lord Wallace reflects on his experience in the UK coalition government and how it compared to his time in the Scottish government.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
January 30, 2026 at 11:18 AM
Reposted
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
NEW | How devolution can improve transport connectivity

Our latest DevoLab briefing sets out three case studies showing how mayoral strategic authorities are ideally placed to help tackle England’s transport challenges www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
Learning from the DevoLab #3: How devolution can improve transport connectivity | Institute for Government
Three case studies of how devolved powers and mayoral influence have been used to improve transport connectivity.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
January 30, 2026 at 10:24 AM
Reposted
meganisaac.bsky.social
7/ For more analysis of the upcoming local, Scottish Parliament and Senedd elections, see our new elections hub:

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/local-devolved-elections-2026

And follow our devolution team:
@akashpaun.bsky.social
@matthewfright.bsky.social
@shawharriet.bsky.social
Local and devolved elections 2026 | Institute for Government
On Thursday 7 May, voters across Scotland, Wales and England head to the polls in a major set of local and devolved elections.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
January 29, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Reposted
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Elections 2026: How could votes in England, Scotland and Wales reshape British politics?

The afternoon will crack on with a preview of the issues at stake in the hugely significant elections taking place across the UK in May 2026 @luketryl.bsky.social @akashpaun.bsky.social @cathhaddon.bsky.social
January 12, 2026 at 9:51 AM
Reposted
a-b-evans.bsky.social
For those following the development of English mayoral #devolution, this is an interesting read from @instituteforgovernment.org.uk’s Mr Devolution @akashpaun.bsky.social on the recently announced postponement of mayoral elections in priority areas & the case for limiting any such delay to 2027
Mayoral elections in priority areas should be held in May 2027 at the very latest | Institute for Government
The government has not made a convincing case for postponement.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
December 13, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Reposted
shawharriet.bsky.social
The decision to delay mayoral elections reflects poorly on the government, and is a disappointing step back in a policy area in which they had previously been making real progress.

More from @akashpaun.bsky.social, @matthewfright.bsky.social, @meganisaac.bsky.social and me, below 👇
December 5, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Reposted
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Report | Learning from the DevoLab #1: How devolution can address health inequalities

This policy briefing presents three short case studies of how devolved powers have been used to address health inequalities.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
Learning from the DevoLab #1: How devolution can address health inequalities | Institute for Government
Three case studies of how devolved powers have been used to address health inequalities.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
December 11, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Reposted
cathhaddon.bsky.social
Great new piece from @akashpaun.bsky.social on the decision to delay next year’s mayoral elections.

“even on the government's own terms… then the case for shifting these polls to 2027 is far stronger than delaying them until 2028”

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/mayo...
Mayoral elections in priority areas should be held in May 2027 at the very latest | Institute for Government
The government has not made a convincing case for postponement.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
December 10, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Reposted
dawnbutlerbrent.bsky.social
On Monday I was honoured to host the launch of the
@londonassembly.bsky.social new report on devolution, Trusting London to Deliver.

A valuable discussion about how we strengthen our city and ensure Londoners’ voices are heard.

@bassammahfouz.bsky.social @akashpaun.bsky.social
September 19, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Reposted
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
At #Lab25? Our programme director @akashpaun.bsky.social is chatting with Cllr Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council @lpoolcityregion.bsky.social, about devolution and economic growth.

🗓 Join us in Meeting Room 11A in the ACC.
Akash Paun and Cllr Liam Robinson
September 29, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Reposted
cathhaddon.bsky.social
Our event at Reform U.K. starting with @akashpaun.bsky.social talking about the “messy” system of local government currently in the U.K. 14 mayors covering about 50% of U.K. the two or three tiers of loval govt made more confusing by other functions that don’t match to political boundaries.
September 5, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Reposted
njdavies.bsky.social
This is the first time I can remember that the tone of my quote has matched my beaming/smug photo
Quote reading: “The government’s new framework for public service reform – focussing on integration, prevention and devolution – is spot on. Combined with higher capital investment, this has the potential to be transformational over the long-term. In the short-term, promising new initiatives will need to be scaled up quickly to deliver meaningful benefits by the end of this parliament.”
June 11, 2025 at 1:56 PM
akashpaun.bsky.social
Aso published: More detail on how the integrated settlements and associated accountability frameworks will work.

I would *love* to see the tracked changes version of this paragraph. One can only imagine the back and forth between HMT and MHCLG (and the MCAs themselves?)
June 11, 2025 at 1:16 PM
akashpaun.bsky.social
Ah this is interesting devo news. London will get an integrated settlement after all from next year.

It'll be interesting to see how the model differs in London compared to the combined authorities, and whether it'll require constitutional change in the GLA-Council relationship to make it work
June 11, 2025 at 12:37 PM
akashpaun.bsky.social
Odd reference by the Chancellor to benefiting children "from Swansea to Bridgend" in reference to the expansion of free school meals (in England only, surely?).

Paging ‪@thatsdevolved.bsky.social‬
June 11, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Reposted
tompope.bsky.social
Reeves has been talking for over half an hour and almost all her announcements are about new investment spending (where the envelope is quite generous).

There will be fewer good news stories on day-to-day spending where the envelope is much tighter (or this will be a very long speech)
June 11, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Reposted
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Work with us! Applications are open for our role as Finance Manager.

You'll be an integral part of our operations team.

Closing date: Monday 19 May at 09:00 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/about-us/car...
A job advert to join the IfG as a Finance Manager. Salary: £50,000-£55,000 Deadline: Monday 19 May, 9am
May 16, 2025 at 11:46 AM
akashpaun.bsky.social
Next Wednesday, 9.30am, the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk is hosting Jorrit de Jong, Director of the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard to discuss Effective urban leadership: What are the international lessons for England’s mayors?

Sign up here www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/effect...
Effective urban leadership: What are the international lessons for England’s mayors? | Institute for Government
Join us to discuss what lessons England’s growing cohort of mayors can learn from other countries.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
May 15, 2025 at 10:34 AM